


Terrible Day for Rain

by Rahab_Morgan



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Angst, Cemetery, F/M, Grief, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 14:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahab_Morgan/pseuds/Rahab_Morgan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hawkeye observes her Colonel's grief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Terrible Day for Rain

**Author's Note:**

> I'm pulling info & diaogue from Brotherhood episodes 10, 30, and 54 (though nothing too specific from the latter two), so if you haven't seen those, you may not want to read this. This is also manga-compliant, but I don't have access to the chapters required for this one-shot, so I've pulled all the info from Brotherhood.
> 
> Slightly edited from the version I have on ff.net, but only for sentence flow.

Hawkeye stood back from her Colonel, trying to give him the distance he needed, but remaining close enough that he knew he wasn't alone. She'd promised to watch his back, after all. But they'd never predicted these circumstances . . . and if someone had killed Lt. Col-  _no, Brigadier General_ \- Hughes, then the likelihood of someone killing her Colonel was a more probable future than she wanted to contemplate – but contemplate it she would. Identifying potential threats was what she was required to do.

At the moment, though, the only threat seemed to come from the Colonel himself. He stood before the Brigadier General's grave, hat balanced on his crossed arms. While no one else would notice it, she knew him well enough to see the way his shoulders drooped.

She hadn't seen him stand like that since Ishval.

He spoke quietly, but her ears were sharp and she could just make out his voice.  "Promoted to Brigadier General, just for dying in the line of duty."

Riza's heart broke when she heard his despondency. "You were supposed to be helping me work my way up through the ranks. You got it all backwards, you damn crazy fool."

She walked toward him, her fingers clenched in the overcoat draped over her arm.

"Colonel."

He glances over his shoulder at her, and the pain in his eyes is unbearable.

"Alchemists as a whole, we really are horrible creatures, aren't we?"

 _Yes._ Her father was proof of that.

"There's a side of me that's desperately trying to crack the theories of human transmutation right now."

Edward and Alphonse flash through her thoughts.  _Colonel, no . . . it won't solve anything. I'll make sure you never go that far. I promised, remember? To shoot you in the back, and follow you into hell._

"I think I understand what drove those boys when they tried to . . . bring back their mother."

She had never heard such grief in his voice, and turned her head sharply to look at him. He didn't glance her way, but she could see the edges of his mask beginning to crumble. His eyelids trembled against tears.

"Are you alright, Colonel?"

Hawkeye tried to sound concerned and held in a grimace when her voice came out completely flat. She had far too much practice being his emotionless adjutant. Why couldn't she convince herself to express warmth now, when she could put up her cold exterior so easily the rest of the time?

"Yeah, I'm fine." He carefully places his hat on his head, but she hears what he's not saying.

_My best friend is gone. How can I be alright?_

"Except, it's a terrible day for rain."

Startled, Hawkeye looked around. She hadn't seen a single cloud all day.

"What do you mean? It's not raining."

His face tilts up to the darkening sky. Tears begin to fall down his face. He might as well have turned around and punched her in the gut. The last time he cried was when he burned her.

"Yes, it is."

 _Rain. I'm useless in the rain._ Riza hears his silent fear, what he needs to say to her, but can't.  _If I couldn't protect Hughes, how can I protect you?_

"Oh, so it is." Her tongue is also tied, but her heart is not.

_You're not useless, I need you. I promised to follow you into hell, and I'm afraid that this is only the edge of its borders. And even if you feel useless . . . I'll be here, always at your back._

"Why don't we head back? It's getting chilly out here."


End file.
